Jose’s track and the proximity to the East Coast

RICHMOND, Va. -- Jose is a category one hurricane with winds of 75 mph, located between Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Strength will fluctuate over the next week, and Jose may be a tropical storm during part of that period. Wind speeds in tropical storms are 39 to 73 mph, and are 74 mph or higher in hurricanes.

The forecast track from the National Hurricane Center brings the center closer to the east coast, then takes the storm between the United States and Bermuda.

This track follows the consensus of most computer models. However, a few runs of different models do show the potential that Jose could get closer to the United States. While these scenarios are not the most likely, they still cannot be discounted quite yet.

As with the previous hurricanes, the actual track depends on various factors. Jose will get pushed between two different areas of high pressure, as well as other features in the upper atmosphere. The forecast track between the USA and Bermuda is based on those features coming together in a certain way. Should those areas of high pressure or some of the upper air winds change, that could allow for Jose to get closer to the coast.

So at this point, the odds of a Mid-Atlantic landfall appear quite low, and the only impacts from the storm will be increased surf at the beaches.

We will continue to monitor Jose in case any changes to the track develop. More information can be found in the CBS 6 Hurricane Tracker.